Acute Mountain Sickness

With ski season upon us here in Reno, this is a relevant post, as it highlights symptoms and remedies for acute mountain sickness...

The incidence of acute mountain sickness (AMS) varies with location, depending on both absolute altitude reached and rate of ascent to altitude. It has been estimated that 15 to 40% of Colorado resort skiers (depending on the altitude of the resort) develop AMS, and studies have shown an incidence of 40% in Mt. McKinley climbers and 70% in Mt. Rainihttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifer climbers. Given the huge numbers of Colorado tourists (10 million a year), this is not a trivial problem. High altitude cerebral edema (HACE), or brain swelling, is defined as the progression of cerebral symptoms and findings of ataxia (difficulty with balance, walking, and muscular coordination) and change in consciousness.